Exposure to UV radiation can lead to the degradation of certain materials. There is a need to protect exposed materials against UV and in some cases to avoid transmission of UV radiation through transparent covers or coatings. In order to be used for transparent coatings, UV protecting agents are preferably transparent and, in some cases, colorless in the final application. For some applications or end-uses these agents are permanent, non migratory and stable against degradation. Organic UV protecting agents or absorbers can be migratory and have unacceptable long term stability (e.g., less than 10 years). In some cases organic UV absorbers are not stable against oxidation or at relatively high temperatures. Inorganic UV absorbers (e.g. ZnO, TiO2, Fe2O3, CeO2, among other inorganic compounds), can have enhanced stability in comparison to organic absorbers. However, inorganic absorbers may not be transparent and/or colorless, or they may be photocatalytically active and in some cases adversely affect a surrounding polymeric matrix when exposed to UV. There is a need in this art for dispersions which can be used as an inorganic transparent UV blocking additive for preparing transparent materials or coatings with low haze levels.